A proposal to use state money to help reinstate the baseball program at Towson University is facing increasing scrutiny in Annapolis, as the Department of Legislative Services is calling the funding "unprecedented."

The department which analyzes all bills is recommending the state money to restore the baseball program be a loan and not a state grant.

The recommendation came today at a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers heard a presentation from David Juppe, Senior Manager in the Office of Policy Analysis for the Department of Legislative services, as well as Mary Clapsaddle, an analyst with the department.

Clapsaddle told lawmakers that the appropriation is "precedent setting," noting the University System of Maryland has a rule that all athletic programs be self sustaining.

Under the plan, Towson University would receive $300,000 in each of the next two years to pay for baseball and to comply with the federal Title IX law, under the condition that the team become self sufficient by 2015.

One member of the committee, Anne Arundel County Democratic Delegate Ted Sophocleus, told his colleagues that he was "troubled" by the recommendation. He notes that the state gives money to many theaters, arts organizations and other entities as grants, and forcing a sports team to pay the money back is unfair.

There has been no immediate comment on the recommendation from Towson University.

Towson University President Marvene Loeschke several weeks ago eliminated baseball and men's soccer citing having to meet Title IX requirements and a lack of funding for the programs.

The state money would apply only to baseball and not men's soccer.

Comptroller Peter Franchot, who criticized the university's decision, is also criticizing the proposal to provide state money for the Towson University Baseball program.

"First, it is not at all clear how, why or by whom the decision was made to reinstate the menÆs baseball team without doing the same for the menÆs soccer team. In the absence of such information, one could be forgiven for concluding that it was a purely arbitrary decision that was based primarily, if not solely, on the fact that one constituency group was simply larger and more vocal than the other," Franchot said in a statement.

"Second, I am concerned about the possibility, if not the likelihood, that we are establishing a prohibitively expensive precedent by utilizing taxpayer dollars to sustain collegiate athletic programs."

Franchot, who sits on the Board of Public Works, convinced Governor Martin O'Malley to delay approval of a proposed Towson University building on the campus of Harford Community College.

He had asked Loeschke to come to Annapolis to appear before the board.

That appearance, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, is now delayed until April 17.